Normally I hated waiting around for something to happen. I preferred action. But if I had no other choice, then maybe I could find something else to occupy my time. “Are we done here then?”
I caught Axel’s smirk out of the corner of my eye.
“Do you have somewhere to be at three o’clock in the morning?” he asked.
“Bed.” I didn’t say whose though.
Axel’s words seemed to suddenly remind everyone of the time, and yawns echoed around the room.
Max stood and collected his files. “Yeah, we’re done. Everyone go home and get some rest. We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning, say eleven.”
I didn’t need telling twice and I was tugging Axel out the door the second Max finished speaking.
“I’m coming!” he muttered, pulling out of my grip. “You don’t have to drag me.”
I ignored him, quickening my pace the moment we got outside.
Axel joined me beside his motorbike and gave me a curious look. “Am I correct in thinking you aren’t coming home with me?”
“You are.”
He smirked. “Am I dropping you off at Nick’s by any chance?”
“Yes.” I didn’t offer anything else, and Axel just laughed. He handed me the spare helmet and climbed onto his bike.
As worked up as I’d been about the investigation, all that faded away as we hit the road. The promise of crawling into Nick’s bed, feeling his warm body pressed against mine, took precedent over every other thought in my mind.
I should probably care more about that than I did.
* * *
As luck would have it,Axel pulled up outside Nick’s house at the same time as he was getting out of his car. I dismounted and went to give Axel my helmet, but he shook his head. “Keep it here. I’ll pick you up in the morning about ten thirty.”
I pulled out my phone and set an alarm like Axel had showed me before. “See you tomorrow.”
He caught my arm before I could walk away. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d said that.
I still couldn’t say that I did. “I hope so too.”
Shaking his head, he gave me a wave and peeled out of Nick’s driveway, roaring off down the quiet road.
“Remind me to thank him for waking my neighbours the next time I see him.” Nick glared in the direction Axel had gone, and I grinned.
Reaching for his hand, I inhaled sharply when my fingers twined with his. It felt different than the last time we’d touched. A crackle of magic between us, like static. Gone again so quickly, I wondered for a moment if I’d imagined it.
“That’s different.” Nick raised our joined hands, studying them before meeting my gaze. He stared at me for a moment, heat warring with exhaustion in his eyes. “Let’s go to bed,” he murmured. “I want to get you naked, but I’m so fucking tired.” He yawned widely, jaw cracking as if to prove his point.
“Come on, then.” I walked towards his front door. “We can sleep. I just want to be with you.” I was surprised by how true that was. I didn’t care if we got in his bed and fell asleep straight away, as long as I could curl around him, feel his bare skin against mine.
I followed him inside and to his bedroom.
His gaze raked over me as we slowly undressed. I half wished I’d kept my guard uniform on; the soft leather hugged me like a second skin. But then again, it would have taken longer to take off and I was impatient.
He yawned again. “Fuck sorry. It’s been a long day.”
Chuckling, I grabbed his hand again and pulled him towards the bed. We slipped under the covers and finally,finally, I got to feel his naked body against mine.
